A barrow full of American whiskies


March 6, 2025

A barrow full of American whiskies,
a session now 125% free!

IMPORTANT! Please note that from today onwards, all our tastings of whiskies or other spirits from the USA will be subject to an additional 25% customs duty. Granted, this little blog is 100% free and does not engage in any commercial activity whatsoever (display, edvertorial or interstitial advertising, paid tastings, sponsorship, affiliation, etc.), but please be aware that whiskyfun.com is now officially 125% free instead of 100% regarding all American spirits.
Thank you for your attention and understanding.
– The Management

PS: We are firmly committed to continuing to taste and review American whiskies without any bias, bitter taste or 'strange feelings', but we reserve the right to make the occasional (and questionable) joke.
Let's see what we have in stock. today..

Elvis The King (45%, Grain & Barrel Spirits, USA, Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, +/-2023)

Would someone be so kind as to tell me who this famous ‘Elvis’ is meant to represent? Is he someone well known in the whisky world? Here we go again… This is 95% rye, sourced in Tennessee, so one would assume George Dickel, though it’s said that Dickel’s 95% rye actually comes from Indiana (MGP). Complicated business, and not something we know much about… Colour: gold. Nose: that very typical balance of spice and roundness, leaning towards caraway, lavender, vanillin, and fresh rye bread. Then a few touches of pine sap and varnish. A simple nose, but one we quite enjoy. Mouth: the wood is rather prominent at first, with a sawdusty side, followed by liquorice wood and a good dose of pepper. Then come crushed bananas and a slightly soapy note, with a hint of gin. Finish: of medium length, with some tannicity and a rather peppery, drying aftertaste. Comments: can one really call it ‘Tennessee Straight Rye’ when it’s possibly distilled in Indiana? In any case, it’s very decent, though the oak is rather dominant.
SGP:461 - 79 points.

Woodford Reserve ‘2024 Holiday Edition’ (43.2%, OB, USA, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey)

We’re not particularly familiar with this famous brand. Colour: gold. Nose: certainly oaky, but fresh, with hints of geranium beyond the vanilla, popcorn, caramel, and orange jam. Nothing complicated, but really quite pleasant. Mouth: all in on marmalade and fresh ginger, then lemon, nutmeg, and cinnamon, with a general fruitiness underpinning the whole. Finish: long, with maple syrup, violets, liquorice, and lemon sweets. There’s wood, but it remains in check. Comments: I find this really enjoyable, easy-going and pleasant. That said, I read somewhere that they claim 200 different flavours… Well, I must have missed a few.
SGP:551 - 81 points.

Texas Legation ‘Batch 2’ (46.2%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, USA, bourbon whiskey, 5,000 bottles, 2018)

They write ‘Made in Texas, accredited in London’. Now, I’ve seen that there’s a small town in Texas named ‘London’. Good one. Anyway, this comes from the Ironroot Republic Distillery in Denison, Texas, where they have taken a ‘French-inspired approach to raising whiskies of character’ since 2014. Bless them. Colour: gold. Nose: this is much more about cakes than wood elements. Orange cake, wildflower honey, maple syrup, damp earth, candied cherries and citrus zest, marzipan… Nothing to throw away so far, we’re enjoying this. Mouth: very fruity but also strongly marked by pipe tobacco, with quite a concentrated side that’s rather surprising. Small touches of maple syrup again, along with juniper and cloves. Finish: fairly long, with amusing notes of woodruff and star anise. Comments: really very good, powerful on an aromatic level, yet still civilised. Texas has been producing some rather wonderful things lately, or so it seems, not just Khruangbin.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Yellowstone 6 yo (50%, OB, USA, 150th Anniversary, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2022)

A very old brand. We’ve already tasted Yellowstone ‘Select’, and it was good. The label is amusing—one could easily picture it in a Netflix series happening in the 1930s. This bourbon comes from Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, KY, but as the distillery seems rather tiny, it’s not impossible that this whisky is also sourced from MGP, via the owners Luxco (who themselves belong to MGP, apparently). These things are always complicated, and we’re not too keen on playing detectives… It often leads back to Wall St. anyway. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very pretty, typical, fruity, and packed with all sorts of cakes, especially orange and honey cakes, followed by nougat and light earthy touches. With water: little change, which is lovely. Mouth (neat): powerful yet creamy, with ginger, oranges, honey, last year’s apples, and vanilla. Nothing but the classics, but I find it really good. With water: the spice becomes much more pronounced now, with white pepper, turmeric, then butterscotch mixed with brine—rather unusual, let’s admit. Finish: of good length, with zest, ginger, and allspice. Comments: in the end, the Texan stole the spotlight.
SGP:651 - 81 points.

Makers Mark ‘Cellar Aged Release 2024’ (59.65%, OB, USA)

Said to be around 12 to 13 years old, which is quite old for a large-volume American brand, though certainly not unheard of elsewhere. Colour: amber. Nose: veering slightly into pot still territory—more robust, earthier, and more complex as well. Notes of mint, soot, a touch of dirtiness and dunnage, along with mosses and old tree stumps. The rest is more classic, with vanilla, varnish, a bit of solvent, and a hint of cologne. With water: a bag of liquorice and caramel sweets. Mouth (neat): of course, it burns, and seems packed with acetone, but I’m sure water will sort it out. With water: absolutely. Earthy spices emerge, mingling with old apples and oranges. As usual, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg set the pace. Finish: long, but without major change. Spiced honey, with a slightly Christmassy feel. Comments: works perfectly for me, and it doesn’t come across as too cowboy at all—really lovely MM.
SGP:561 - 86 points.

Given the changes in customs tariffs between countries, particularly between Europe and the USA, spontaneous boycotts could, of course, emerge, much like what is happening with Tesla at the moment. However, we hope that small independent European bottlers and distributors of American whiskies will not be affected. Let’s remain elegant and thoughtful! Here’s a fine and worthy example…

Kentucky Bourbon 6 yo 2018/2025 (60%, Fadandel, USA, cask #23, 229 bottles)

We’ve discreetly uncovered a few clues suggesting this might come from Green River Distillery in Owensboro (they call it ‘The Whiskey Without Regrets’, which we find rather amusing). Colour: dark gold. Nose: almost a Scottish bourbon. Even more so than in Makers Mark, this has a thicker, less sweet, and more multidimensional profile, reminiscent of Scotch malt. Beautiful citrus notes, apple juice, mosses and ferns, toffee, and even a good amount of malt indeed. With water: becomes a bit more classic, with vanilla, light varnish, and a faint touch of coconut milk, but nothing too serious. Mouth (neat): very powerful, all on oranges and ginger. A bit hot, to be honest, but that’s to be expected. Only one remedy—water. With water: excellent, well-balanced, with lovely coffee notes, followed by all sorts of citrus and a few aromatic herbs. More complex than your usual bourbon, I insist. Finish: long, lemony, very fresh, quite magnificent. Comments: a lovely little beast, well done!
SGP:651 - 87 points.

FEW ‘Bottled in Bond – Paul Hletko Selection’ (50%, OB, USA, for South Africa, Navigate World Whisky, Chicago straight bourbon whiskey, cask #18-2213, 2024)

We learn that 2024 marked the 125th anniversary of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, which we find interesting even if I’m not sure the figures do add up. Indeed. Colour: full gold. Nose: as is often the case with FEW, in our small experience, this is bright, precise, intelligent, assertive, yet very well balanced. Earthy vanilla, tea with honey, fresh black bread (pumpernickel), root vegetables… With water: earthy tones and bread—almost perfect—plus a touch of eucalyptus. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent, compact yet complex, which is entirely possible. A return of spiced citrus, especially oranges, that famous pumpernickel, speculoos, and liquorice… With water: this stuff is just brilliant! Finish: liquorice caramel, lingering, with menthol in the aftertaste. This always works. Comments: excellently done. And selected, naturally.
SGP:661 - 89 points.

A last one…

Willett 8 yo ‘Family Estate Bourbon’ (62.9%, OB, USA, for LMDW Singapore, cask #13059)

Let’s do this quickly—after all, Willett is always very good, we just need to avoid scorching our noses and palates… Colour: dark gold. Nose: loads of burnt wood and vanilla pods at first, plus cappuccino and caramel. Very powerful, yet quite endearing. With water: citrus comes out in force, especially bergamots and kumquats (which, incidentally, are the favourite citrus fruits of retired Dutch dentists—sorry, private joke). Then come waves of deep black soil and geraniums. Mouth (neat): this seems excellent. Oranges, ginger, and chocolate in perfect harmony, but also a lot of ethanol. As a result… With water: incredible—you can add litres of water, and it remains powerful. This time, the usual spices take centre stage, with pepper leading the charge. Finish: very long, oranges and pepper, with a touch of maple syrup in the background. Comments: it needs water, but too much would diminish the fruitiness. A cruel dilemma, a proper Cornelian choice.
SGP:661 - 88 points.

What's great about American whiskies is that, since a certain person is supposed to be abstinent, there's no risk of you ending up tasting the same whisky as him—let alone at the same time, which would surely bring bad luck.

More American whiskies coming soon—we’ve got plenty in stock!

Check the index of all American whiskies we've tasted so far